Shenmue

by Sega

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00004S99R
• Item Weight: 5 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: November 7, 2000
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (310 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,145 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

To say that Shenmue is an anticipated title is an understatement; the game made huge waves in Japan upon its release, and American gamers have been waiting since then to see what the fuss is all about. It's a game in which the concept itself is the selling point. What if you could portray a young hero in a fully realized Japanese city? Would you like to participate in and influence an over-the-top kung fu-style action-mystery flick in your living room? What if lots of combat, cinematic flourish, detail, and a dash of romance were thrown in?

The game itself is awash in small details, crammed into a confined space. The city of Yokusuka circa 1986 is rendered beautifully in a short series of neighborhoods that are long on detail even if short on variety. The story itself is ripped straight from a chopsocky flick: you portray the young hero Ryo Hazuki, whose father (a kung fu sensei, naturally) is killed before his very eyes by a mysterious and frightening villain. Ryo must uncover the identity of the killer and fight his way through the city in an effort to avenge this wrongful death.

Shenmue's Yokusuka might be short on space--in total, it represents maybe a square mile--but the detail is overwhelming. You can interact with nearly every person or object that you see; 300 citizens go about their daily routines, and whom you encounter is as much determined by where you are as when you are there.

Much of this interaction involves combat that ranges from Dragon's Lair-style reaction tests (such as timing a button press to dodge an oncoming car) to freeform kung fu fighting. Further, each second of real time equals about a minute of game time, and Ryo has to be home by 11 p.m. each evening. The game moves at a brisk pace, and each challenge or battle feels like a race against time. Some might say that gaming doesn't get shallower than this (you are essentially performing tasks and exploring, instead of gaming), but the game feels like no other and is ultimately satisfying by the time that it all ends. In this way, Shenmue is more than a game--it's an event that's worth experiencing. --Andrew S. Bub

Pros:

• Compelling, well-told story
• Good action and combat
• Fantastic sound and graphics

Cons:

• Plot is familiar to fans of kung fu action films
• Task-and-exploration gameplay might seem slow to action gamers

Product Description

Shenmue, a genre-busting work from Sega, is transcendent for both its beauty and its innovative gameplay. In a convergence of role-playing, fighting, and adventure elements, you play as Ryo, a young man who's come home to witness his father being fatally beaten by thugs. This event immediately sparks in him a quest for both revenge and an investigation into the mysterious jade amulet the thugs stole. You'll have to play detective to gather clues, such as possible motivations and whereabouts, from nonplaying characters. Not all of the people you question will be happy about you nosing around, so be prepared to fight and keep fighting. You'll need money for the quest, and there's plenty of minigame-style ways to get it--from forklift driving to casino gambling.

The game features vibrant 3-D graphics, which are nearly photo-realistic in their astounding attention to even subtle detail. For example, the sky background changes slowly to denote the passing daylight.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 62 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy it, June 6, 2000

By A Customer

= Durability:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Shenmue (Video Game)

Shenmue is without questin one of the best games I have ever played. I am a diehard rpg fan and this game has enough rpg elements to keep any fan happy for quite some time. Not only that, it also has many different attributes for those looking for an action game. You fight with many people in real time and it never gets boring or repetitive. But the control is intuitive and easy to pick up. One of the greatest things about this game is the depth of storyline and overall gameplay. There are so many small things you can do to make you feel like you are an integral part of this virtual world. the storyline is also great although I won't reveal the twists to those of you who havn't played the game. That would spoil some of the fun wouldn't it? But thats not to say that this game doesn't have excellent replay value. You can do it over and over again and never get bored. It has kept me up into the early hours of the morning more than several times and all but depleted my supply of coffee. One last thing is the graphics. they are some of the most beautifal I have ever seen. You will start to question whether going through the glass screen on your t.v will be leaving the real world or going into it. They are just downwright amazing. The Bottom line is buy this game no matter what Genre your a fan of. This is truly a game that defies classification. Even if you dont have a dreamcast you can buy one of those as well. But whatever you have to do GET THIS GAME. You will find that this alone is enough reason to own a dreamcast.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The first chapter of something great, November 13, 2000

By 

Maverick41 (Santa Rosa, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shenmue (Video Game)

I'm not an RPG fan. I'm not even an adventure game fan. I bought Shenmue completely over the pressure of my friends. I've owned the game for the past five days, and i've allready lost 30 hours of my life to it. Let's put it this way..It is very rare that a game does that to me. Extremely rare.

Shenmue's perfect in a lot of ways. It's storyline, avenging your father's death, may seem generic, but Shenmue manages to transform it into an epic and involving tale. Going through the game, interacting with it's enviroments and characters, it's all just the unique experince that *is* Shenmue.

The game's music is incredible, most of the time flawless. The graphics are unbeleivable and the level of detail is just scary. Once you finish the game, you will indeed be on the edge of your seat of the sequels to come, but I think Shenmue has been introduced to us, and in perfect form. I dont give the game five stars just on the hype. I give the game five stars because it's just that good.

28 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Shenmue breaks new ground, November 16, 2000

By 

Chris Gardner (Rutherford, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shenmue (Video Game)

I have to hand it to Yu Suzuki and Sega. Their games may not be immediate classics, but they are clearly groundbreaking, and players will look back at them and say "wow, I can't believe this game was that inventive".

I've played Shenmue for only a few days, and I have to say it's one of the best games I've ever played. The quality and attention to graphic detail is stunning. Clearly, when you're looking at some characters' face it's hard to imagine that they are made up of polygons.

Twitch gamers will not be happy. If you're in for a quick, visceral fix you'll be disappointed. But if you like exploring, like seeing what's behind the corner or underneath that tricycle or even what's in someone's desktop drawer, you will be estatic.

Shenmue is just one of those games you can sit down and play. Play and play. Even without following the plotline to the tee, you can still do a million things.

If you have a Dreamcast buy Shenmue. If you don't have a Dreamcast, do yourself a favor and get one. This game, and many others (hint, hint, NFL2K1, hint) are definitely worth it.